What race would be complete without the naked runners and walkers...most walked including this group with yellow balloons. The 96th annual Bay to Breakers foot race took over the streets of San Francisco Sunday morning as thousands ran from Howard and Beale Streets to Ocean Beach. {Brant Ward/San Francisco Chronicle}5/20/07

"There is no reason to go this far," said Mirkarimi, whose supervisorial district is invaded every May by the 65,000 or so runners on their way from the Embarcadero to Ocean Beach. "Nudity and floats are part of the spirit of the race."

Outcries from race neighbors over sloppy-drunk participants displaying their all, relieving themselves wherever the mood strikes and leaving their trash everywhere prompted race organizers and city officials to ban booze and bare butts.

Reaction among grassroots fans of the fun fest has been loud and swift, and Mirkarimi has taken up the cause. His first step will be to ask other supervisors to sign on to a resolution asking race organizers to lighten up.

"Nudity and floats are part of the overall eccentric nature of the race and what makes it so great," Mirkarimi said.

As for the booze ban, however, Mirkarimi said it's probably here to stay.

"We're just trying to find some middle ground here," Mirkarimi said.

Ed Sharplessof Citizens for the Preservation of Bay2Breakers, formed after the crackdown was announced last week, said that what the race really needs is more toilets, more trash cans and a new spirit among partiers to clean up after themselves.

"It did get out of hand over the last couple of years, but the issues can be addressed," Sharpless said.

Speaking on behalf of race organizers, public relations whiz Sam Singersaid it is too early to say whether the bans would be eased. But he added that organizers "are having discussions with the city and the police to see if there might be some flexibility in the new rules."

"And speaking of rules," Singer added. "There has always been a ban on nudity - it has never been enforced and it won't likely be enforced this year, either."

For the record, Mirkarimi says he has never run the Bay to Breakers in the nude, "although I have been scantily clad."

When in Rome: No sooner did Congress sign off on that $787 billion stimulus package than House Speaker Nancy Pelosiand some of her closest political pals boarded an Air Force jet for a whirlwind trip to Italy, to be capped with a meeting with the pope.

First stop: Aviano Air Base in Italy, where members visited U.S. troops and honored a soldier for his service in Afghanistan.

Next, Florence, to pay their respects to World War II soldiers buried on the outskirts of town.

Then, on to Naples for a NATO meeting.

Along the way are meet-and-greets with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconiand a private audience with Pope Benedict XVI.

Don't know if Pelosi and the pontiff will debate whether life begins at conception, but it has been a hot topic between the speaker and San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer, who recently met to try to work out their differences.

The seeds for the pilgrimage were planted two years ago with an invite from the Italian Parliament, which wanted to honor the House speaker as the highest-ranking Italian American in the U.S. government.

Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly said he couldn't tell us the cost of the trip - which will end later this week with a side jaunt to an undisclosed Central Asian hot spot - but insisted the delegation paled in size compared to other congressional junkets.

However, Leslie Paige, spokeswoman for the nonpartisan Citizens Against Government Waste, said taxpayers had the right to know "exactly what they are spending on these junkets, including the cost of the military aircraft."

"It's about absolute transparency," Paige said.

Razz: Relations between San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsomand new 49ers chief Jed York don't seem to be getting off to a warm start.

Newsom's lack of attention to York's father, John York, was one of the reasons the team is looking to relocate in Santa Clara.

Judging from Jed York's remarks at a meeting with fans the other night, the mood hasn't changed much - not with the top Niner complaining that there hasn't been a great deal of cooperation with the mayor when it comes to keeping Candlestick Park up to par.

In fact, Newsom and the new owner had barely exchanged a word since the younger York took over.

All that changed Tuesday when we called the mayor's office for comment. Within an hour, Newsom was on the phone to York explaining all the city has done and asking for a meeting. York accepted.

Sorry, Jed.

Cheers: From Rich "Big Vinny" Lieberman: The "Sully" Sullenberger cocktail - two hits of Gray Goose and a splash of water.

Bam!

Light a fire: A local Catholic priest's call for a boycott of that Noe Valley store carrying PresidentObamaprayer candles appears to be having the opposite effect.

"Thanks to Father Tony La Torre, we had four priests in today buying the candle," said David Eiland, co-owner of the Just for Fun novelty shop. "One was visiting from Rome and bought a candle for his best friend who is the head of the Franciscans."

And finally: "I haven't slept with this many people at one time since the '70s." - state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, emerging from the weekend legislative lockdown over the budget.